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Thursday, 4 December 2014

What is the Best Ride in Andalucia? Cycling Country Office picks a few.

Cycling Country Office´s "Your Favourite Ride" – Maggi

People always ask us, “which is your favourite ride?” or “which
one would you suggest you “shouldn´t miss or is "bucket list worthy?” Thus,
here is one I personally rate pretty highly in our local region of Andalucia.

Ride 1 - Córdoba onwards to Granada (250 km)

Córdoba´s Mezquita Cathedral and Roman Bridge

Maybe it is because of the nostalgia that I pick this one, but this was the first ride we did here in Spain when
we arrived, panniers packed to the gills,
and we have to say, we still love it. Although
split over a couple of days to get to Granada, you can do a rush job and do it
in a couple. We were cycling from Madrid, so just came into Andalucia from the
flat lands of La Mancha and what a difference.
All of the sudden everything got sunny, hilly and each whitewashed house
had a colourful blooming geranium that gives this region a real air of fiesta!

Córdoba´s rolling hills

From here, this longer trip follows the route of the Re-conquest
to Granada, the last kingdom of the Moors and truly offers something for the
intermediate road cyclist who wants to keep fitness up to the more advanced
climbing enthusiast who just wants to clock up the miles and grind through the
gears.

Lovely Subbetica!

If you want to work every muscle set, then this is the route.

Every day offers a different landscape to ride, from the heated plains of the breadbasket
of Rome with castles in the mist, the steep sharp rises of the flowering almond
and olive oil groves, all the way to the granddaddy category climbs of the snowy
Sierra Nevada area in which the Alhambra Palace rests. As an extension from
Granada, try to keep dancing on the pedals as you attempt a 600 metre climb
over 6km to Monachil, and if the urge still grabs you cycle up to 3396 metres to
the Pico de Veleta, the highest rideable asphalt road in Europe.

With other gentler rolling climbs and descents, be sure to
quaff the strong cafe con leche in each white village along the way. High
points include Alhama de Granada´s lakeside ascents with encircled primeval
coastal mountains, Baroque towns, ´´rails for trials´´ routes through the
untouched Subbetica National Park and abandoned medieval towers in poppy strewn
fields.

Enchanting Alhambra Palace

Along the way is a countryside chock full of cultural treasures such as
Cordoba´s UNESCO Mosque-Cathedral´s arched extravaganza, Granada´s romantic Alhambra Palace, vivacious villages, shepherds
with tranquil grazing flocks and the Andalusian love of hospitality and of life
generally. It really is "Impressionante"!